What They Say About Lincoln

 "... few things in this Island are so  breathlessly impressive as Lincoln Cathedral, nobly crowning its hill, seen from below." 

​"... street or toboggan-run aptly named Steep Hill .."  ​
- J B Priestley in English Journey (1933)​

A bicycle shed is a building; Lincoln Cathedral is a piece of architecture. Nearly everything that encloses space on a scale sufficient for a human being to move in is a building; the term architecture applies only to buildings designed with a view to aesthetic appeal." 
     - Nikolaus Pevsner 

"The entrance into Lincoln from the south presents an interesting succession of picturesque scenery. the distant buildings appearing interspersed with orchards and gardens, irregularly ranged on the side of the hill, which rises gradually at first, and then more precipitously, from the valley in which the lower town is situated, up to the lofty site of the Minster, which towers over the whole scene in chaste and beautiful elevation. The situation is worthy of the edifice, which, in external grandeur, admits of no rival amongst all the varied beauties of the English cathedrals."

Picturesque Antiquities of English Cities by John Britton (1830)

There is mention of Lincolnshire in a short poem of 1631

Helpe to Discourse
Cheshire for men,
    Berkshire for dogs;
Bedfordshire for naked flesh,
    And Lincolnshire for bogs.
Darbishire for lead,
    Devonshire for tin;
Wiltshire for hunting plaines,
    And Middlesex for sin

William Basse (c.1583-1653/4) 

"Lincoln Cathedral is one of the finest medieval buildings in Europe. It has been a major focus of worship for over 900 years and it is a centre of excellence for art, conservation, music and architecture."                        http://www.cathedralsplus.org.uk

"The city of Lincoln is bypassed by most visitors to the UK, and that's a pity, because Lincoln has a colourful past that is preserved in a fascinating variety of historic buildings, particularly in the ancient medieval core."         http://www.britainexpress.com

"It is only twenty miles from Retford to Lincoln, and long before we reached the latter town we saw the  towers of its great cathedral, which crowns a steep hill rising sharply from the almost level  surrounding country. It is not strange that the cathedral-builders, always with an eye to the  spectacular and imposing, should have fixed on this remarkable hill as a site for one of their churches.  For miles from every direction the three massive towers form a landmark as they rise above the tile roofs  of the town in sharp outline against the sky. To reach Lincoln we followed a broad, beautiful highway,  almost level until it comes to the town, when it abruptly ascends the hill, which is so steep as to tax the  average motor.

"The cathedral in some respects is the most remarkable and imposing in England. The distinctive feature is the great towers of equal size and height, something similar to those of Durham, though higher and more beautifully proportioned. The interior shows some of the finest Norman architecture in the Kingdom and the great Norman doorway is said to be the most perfect of its kind. Near the chapel in the cathedral close is a bronze statue of Tennyson accompanied by his favorite dog. This reminded us that we were in the vicinity of the poet's birthplace, and we determined that the next point in our pilgrimage should be Somersby, where the church and rectory of Tennyson's father still stands.

 ​

​"We planned to reach Boston that evening, and as there were a good many miles before us we were not able to give the time that really should be spent in Lincoln. It has many ancient landmarks, the most remarkable being a section of the Roman wall that surrounded the town about 15 A.D. and in which the arch of one of the gateways is still entire. It now appears to have been a very low gateway, but we were informed that excavations had shown that in the many centuries since it was built the earth had risen no less than eight feet in the archway and along the wall. Lincoln Castle, much decayed and ruinous, is an appropriate feature of one of the public parks. Along the streets leading up Cathedral Hill are rows of quaint houses, no doubt full of interest; but a motor tour often does not permit one to go much into detail."

​

- Thomas Dowler Murphy. British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car / Being A Record Of A Five Thousand Mile Tour In England, / Wales And Scotland 1908